Eric Bush

April 01. Bush signed with UAB.

4/18: rumor: Eric Bush will sign with UAB this week. (5 to 2)

3/28: "(Asked if the Hoosiers were pursuing Eric Bush...) "I don't think so or at least he is lower on the priority list..." - Peegs, Insiders Report

3/23: "point guard Eric Bush barely missed a triple-double as he finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and nine assists (in a tourney consolation game)- Hutchinson News

3/20: "Eric Bush had 17 for Barton County (26-9) who finished their tournament run with a loss to top 5 team Wabash Valley (with Omari Westley and Hiram Fuller). - Mike Ryan

3/20: "Eric Bush, a 5-10, 177 pound point guard from Barton County C.C. in Great Bend, Kan., has several schools pursuing him this winter. JUCO Junction spoke with Barton Head Coach Ryan Wolf and Bush at the Region VI playoffs last week. Wolf said that UAB leads UConn and Mississippi State in the battle for Bush's services, though Bush said he has also been contacted recently by Indiana, Miami (FL) and Fresno State." - Juco Junction (5 to 2)

3/20: "Bush averages 18.6 points and was among the nation's leaders in assists and steals. He has not yet committed to a Division I school. "He might be the best defensive guard I've seen in junior-college basketball," Blake said. "With so much speed, he just plays reckless, and that disrupts teams." - Wichita Eagle/Russ Blake

3/11: Eric Bush scored just 5 points on 2/10 shooting in a buzzer beater win of Coffeyville College, 76-73. Bush also had 3 rebs, 4 assits, 3 turnovers and no steals in 38 minutes of action. - Mike Ryan

2/19: "(Indiana Coach, Mike Davis) will be in Hutchinson Kansas this Wednesday to recruit Eric Bush of Barton County. The 5-10 170 lb. playmaker is a 1996 graduate of Anderson High School. He initially signed with Illinois State but dropped out ,before the first semester, and did not resume his college career until the 1998 season at Barton. Bush is currently leading Barton to a 19-7 record while averaging 17ppg, 6apg, and 4spg.
Bush is also receiving serious recruiting interest not only from Indiana but also from UCONN, UAB, Texas Tech, Cincinnati and Mississippi State. Reportedly, Bush is the man for Cincy if Kenny Satterfield opts for early departure to the NBA. The possibility of Bush to Indiana is a definite statement that Bloomington is returning to the days of The Hurrying Hoosiers.
Bush thrives in Pro Style offenses and is not comfortable passing the ball in Antiquated motion offenses. Bush is a jet uptempo playmaker that makes plays and breaks down defenses off the dribble. The recruiting of Eric Bush by scholarship less Indiana is just a small portion of the drama that will be played out in Bloomington. The University foolishly hasn't even extended Coach Davis's contract and removed his interim tag. With such a lack of committment to the coach, who could blame Davis for recruiting Bush with his next coaching job in mind. We of course are not saying Davis is doing so, but who could blame him ? Eric Bush is possibly the best available point in America right now for next season. Every winning program must have a playmaker to lead the team. Anyone would be wise to stay in contact with someone of Bush's talent." - INBNews.com

2/19: "Bush has now seen his list to expand to Connecticut, Indiana, UBA (?), Cincinnati, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, and Texas Tech." - Insiders Report

2/18: Bush had 19 pts on just 5-19 shooting in a loss to Butler. He was 1-6 from the trey line.

2/18: "They (UC) continue to push for 5'11 Eric Bush, but the uncertainty of Satterfield's situation is making recruiting a point guard a sketchy proposition. Bush wants to play, not sit, and he will not sit behind Satterfield." - Bullseye, AllStar Report

2/5: Eric Bush Season Stats, so far:
19.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.5 apg, 3 stls pg, 4.7 turnovers pg.

35 min's pg, 38% FG%, 36% trey%, 71% FT%.


2/5: In an upset loss to Cloud County, Bush was 4-21 from the field (0-5 trey's), but still scored 21 in shooting 13-16 FT's. He had 3 assts, 4 to's and 7 steals. Barton Cty is now 17-5 on the year. Cloud Cty is 8-14.

2/3: Bush had 10 assts and 28 pts in a win over Pratt. He shot 5-7 from trey-land and was 7-13 overall.

1/31: In a loss to Colby College, Bush was 11-27 from the field including an impressive 8-16 from the trey line. He had 31 pts, 12 rebs ( ! ), 5 assts and 5 to's.

1/29: "Barton's best player consistently this season has been Anderson's Eric Bush. Fans will remember last Summer that Eric was being pushed to sign with Fordham. Eric wisely returned to Barton for another year where he has averaged 17ppg., 9apg. and 4spg. Bush has offers from UAB and Mississippi State and Cincinnati wants Eric if they lose Kenny Satterfield to the NBA." - INBNews.com

1/26: "Another top junior college player had difficulty finding his way back to school. Barton County point guard Eric Bush missed the start of the second semester as he stayed at home for personal reason. He started his career at Illinois State, but left within the week. He wound up finishing as the Cougars' leading scorer and the Jayhawk West MVP last season. Bush has excellent quickness and can push the ball. He is a good creator. There was talk of him landing at Fordham last season, but he decided to return for his sophomore season. Bush is averaging 18.7 points and 6.5 rpg and is being recruited by Cincinnati, Mississippi State among others." - Monter Draft News

1/18: listed as one of the five best Juco Point guards in the country. - Brick O.

1/17: Eric Bush returned to action and scored 21 pts in 35 min's of PT. He was 5-13 from three. He also had 7 assists and two steals.

1/14: "Barton played (and lost) without point guard Eric Bush, a preseason All-American. He was suspended indefinitely by coach Ryan Wolf on Saturday. Bush returned from Christmas break on Thursday after staying in Indiana two extra weeks for personal reasons." The Cougars could have used Bush. It was a tight game for the first 28 minutes. Then Barton seemed to take control behind Carlton Baker. He scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half, helping Barton built a 12-point lead with five minutes to play. - Wichita Eagle

1/13: Bush has not played in the last three games since the Holiday break, because of an injury.

1/11: "Bush is reportedly leaning toward Alabama-Birmingham" - Lafayette (IND) Journal

1/9: Bush has averaged 34 mins pg, 18.7 ppg, 6.5 assists pg, has shot 35% from trey land and 41% overall in 13 games this season. He has started in 11 of them.

1/10: "Barton County point guard Eric Bush said he will return to school and his team on Thursday. Bush, the Cougars' leading scorer and the Jayhawk West MVP last season, has not came back to school since Christmas break, citing personal reasons. "I just had to handle some things here," Bush said from his home in Anderson, Ind. "If I went back to Kansas, then had to come back here again, it would have cost me too much. But everything's fine now." Bush said he plans to play in No. 20 Barton's game Saturday, when the Cougars host No. 3 Seward County. The teams are a combined 25-3. "Oh, I'll be there for that one. You can count on that," he said. "I can't wait to get back to playing." - Wichita Eagle

12/30: During the first 13 games of the season, Bush is averaging 18 pts, 3.3 rebs, 6.5 assts, and 34 mins per game. He is shooting 41% from the field, 35% on treys and 68% at the line. Barton is on a one month break and next play on Jan 6th. They have an 11-2 record. - Mike Ryan

12/20: "has UAB out in front, with Cincinnati and Mississippi State also involved, (Barton Coach) Wolf said. Bush visited Fordham late last spring, and as a result, has only four visits left to take in the spring of 2001.

12/15: Listed as the 14th best Juco player, regardless of position. - NBADraft Report

12/13: Rated as the best PG at the recent Jayhawk Conference Shootout. Against Independence he had 31 points, 9 assists, 3 steals. - Steve Wacaser, Sporting News

12/8: scored 16 pts, on 6-16 shooting, had 12 assists, 4 steals and 8 turnovers in a win over Labette.

12/2: scored 31 pts, (11-22) including 6-10 from trey line, but no assists and three turnovers in a win over Independence JUCO.

11/3: scored 26 pts on 8-11 shooting in a Barton win. Made 5-6 trey's and all 5 of his FT's. He also had 4 reb's and 8 assists.

10/00: Named Third Team, Pre-Season JUCO All American - Street & Smith Magazine

8/22: "directed the high octane Barton County attack last year (and) will be back for one more year to pilot the Cougar program. In an interview with JUCO Junction, Barton Head Coach Ryan Wolf confirmed that Bush has enrolled for another year of classes at B.C.C.C. "It's good to have him back," Wolf said. "I think it's a great situation for him and obviously a great situation for us. For what he wants to accomplish, I think this will help him two or three years down the road." Bush had taken an official visit to Fordham University in the Bronx last May, and the Ram program continued its pursuit of Bush into the summer months. In fact, Bush was reportedly in the Bronx as late as last week to take a course towards his degree. But in the end, he wound up back at Barton. Although it's still very early to speculate about Bush's recruitment, Wolf commented, "It's wide open." Bush had a tremendous freshman year at Barton, establishing school records for both assists and steals in a season. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists and six steals per contest in leading the Cougars to a 29-1 regular season record and a number one national NJCAA ranking for much of the 1999-2000 season. Bush is like the energizer bunny out on the basketball court, pushing tempo and creating headaches for opposing defenses with his speed and elusiveness. His return to Barton, along with a tremendous supporting cast, once again makes the Cougars prohibitive favorites in the Jayhawk West. Barton County and Southern Idaho will probably be the number one and two pre-season teams in the country this fall when the NJCAA announces its pre-season rankings. Bush began his college career at Illinois State in the fall of 1998, but lasted less than a month at the school. He enrolled at Barton shortly thereafter, and initially, it was asssumed he would play one year at Barton before moving on to the D-I ranks with three to play. But Bush was unable to attain the appropriate academic requirements to move on to the D-I ranks after a year and a half at Barton, necessitating his return to the school for the 2000-2001 school year/basketball season." - Juco Junction

8/18: "Bush is finishing summer school at Ivy Tech in Anderson, Indiana. If he qualifies for NCAA D1, then Bush may very well sign with Fordham. That is his family and H.S. coach choice. He truthfully wants to play JUCO another year and then be re-recruited." - INBNews

6/27: "Eric Bush was one of the most exciting players in all of junior college basketball this past season as a redshirt freshman. Will he return to Barton County this fall or will he graduate and move on to the Division I ranks? Bush is at the proverbial crossroads, but he will need to start making some decisions about his future in the coming weeks. Bush had a terrific freshman year at Barton County C.C. in Great Bend, Kan., averaging 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists and six steals per game for the Cougars, who finished the regular season ranked as the number one junior college team in the land.

Bush redshirted at Barton in 1998-99, and the early notion had him playing a year at Barton before moving onto the D-I ranks in the fall of 2000. "Right now, I really don't even know what is going to happen," Bush said in a recent interview with JUCO Junction. "I am taking classes right now and hoping to graduate this summer."
Bush said he is enrolled at a local technical school in Anderson, Ind., in an effort to earn the necessary credits to graduate.

Sources familiar with Bush's recruitment have told JUCO Junction that Bush may indeed have enough credits to earn his associates degree this summer, but that the real issue surrounding his eligibility for a D-I program will be the amount of transferable credits (quality of credit as opposed to sheer quantity).

Bush took an official visit to Fordham in early May, and speculation swirled that he was headed to the Atlantic 10 school in the fall.
"I visited Fordham and liked it, but I am getting a lot of calls from other schools," Bush said. "I don't want to be limited, because that's what happened to me when I came out of high school. It was either here or nothing, and I don't want to be put in that position again."

Although he wants to shop around a bit when it comes to picking a college, there were several things about Fordham that appealed to Bush. "I like the school and the coaches," Bush said. "The league, the A-10, is a nice league with a lot of competition. They told me they need me to come in and play, talking about 30 plus minutes a game. It's a real good offer."

Taking the trip to Fordham had some unforeseen consequences, Bush admitted. "I am just feeling a lot of pressure right now," he said. "The pressure to make a decision. Before the end of the school year, I had no plans on trying to graduate. Then [Fordham] came in and told me that if I can graduate, that they can get me in. Things have been going real fast."

If Bush does not graduate with enough transferable credits this summer, he could return to play his sophomore year at Barton and go through the recruiting process again this fall or next spring.
"If I go back to junior college, I will definitely be back at Barton," he said. "Everything is going so fast for me right now. I am trying to take it as it comes and just worry about summer school right now."

Of course, Bush could also return to Barton, finish up his classwork, sit out half a year and then enroll at a Division I school come December or January. But that option seems highly unlikely at this time. "If I don't graduate, I will play at Barton," Bush said. "I can't sit out anymore. My first year at Barton (sitting out) was tough."

There was a lot of talk that strained relations between Bush and Barton County Head Coach Ryan Wolf would push Bush to another junior college this fall, but based on his above comments above, that appears to be unlikely. "It has been tough, but I think as the year went on, Coach Wolf and I started to get a better understanding for each other," he said. "He started pulling me off to the side to talk to me. It got a lot better at the year went on." In addition to Fordham, Washington State, Maryland and East Carolina also showed varying degrees of interest in the past year.

But when all is said and done, it would be wise to keep an eye on Cincinnati, where Bush's fellow Hoosier State native and Barton teammate Jamaal Davis will play the next two years. In fact, Cincinnati began to look seriously at Bush this spring when freshman point guard Kenny Satterfield declared early for the NBA Draft. Satterfield has since removed his name from consideration.
"When Satterfield put his name into the draft this spring, that's when Cincinnati really started to get involved," Bush said. "They were coming to watch Jamaal [Davis], and I had also talked to them, and they said next year they were going to keep an eye on me. But then they started to talk to me after Satterfield put his name in the draft." In the meantime, Bush is plugging away at Ivy Tech, taking 12 credits this summer. He has also gone down to Purdue to visit his friend Rodney Smith and play some pickup ball with the Boilermaker players. But the phone has been slow to ring thus far this spring.
"A lot of schools were turned off because nobody thought I would be coming out this year," Bush said. "I had told a lot of schools that, so we'll have to see what happens over the next couple of weeks." - JucoJunction

5/25/00: "Eric Bush (Anderson, IND HS '98) will graduate July 2000 from Barton County JC with three years of NCAA D1 eligibility remaining. Remember, Eric signed with Illinois State after High School but did not stay long enough to attend the football homecoming. Averaging 15 ppg. and throwing 10 dimes per game at Barton, Bush has visited only Fordham University this May 4. The Fordham visit was not his choice but a thing manufactured by people close to Eric. He has always told IBN that he seeks a high profile school that will allow him to push the ball and " run things " in the open court. Cincinnati rumors were squashed once Kenny Satterfield decided not to turn Pro. Bush will make decisions after his July graduation from Barton. He could elect to make a Barton return and have two NCAA eligibility years remaining;or, sign with a NCAA D1 in late summer that has a three year opening for a point guard extraordinaire. - inbnews.com

5/5/00: VISITED FORDHAM

4/6/2000: Three Barton County Community College basketball players earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honors this week. Barton men's basketball player Eric Bush was named to the NJCAA All-America Second Team and teammate Jamaal Davis was named to the NJCAA All-America Third Team. Bush, a 5-10 point guard from Anderson, Ind., destroyed Barton steals and assists records in being named "Most Valuable Player" and "Freshman of the Year" of the Jayhawk Western Conference, and he was top vote-getter of the All-Region First Team. Leading Barton to a 32-2 record and its third consecutive Jayhawk Western Conference championships with a 15-1 record, he was also named to the Region VI All-Tournament Team. Bush ended the year with a career-record 205 steals, and broke the single-season assist record with 311. He ranks third on the career assist list. Bush averaged 14.1 points, 9.1 assists, 6.0 steals, and 3.8 rebounds a game. Davis, a 6-8 forward from Merrillville, Ind., collected All-Region First Team honors, was named to the All-Conference First Team, and made the Region VI All-Tournament Team. The 6-8 sophomore forward from Merrillville, Ind., averaged 16.1 points and led the team with 9.4 rebounds a game and is also an NJCAA All-American nominee. http://www.barton.cc.ks.us/sports/mbwballamericans00.html

PLAYER PROFILE, BARTON CTY JUCO WEBSITE:
Eric Bush was a three-year starter as the point guard for national power Anderson High School and originally signed with Illinois State University after his senior season in 1998. A highly touted high school player, Bush was named "Most Valuable Player" within his conference and his team and was an All-State selection. As a senior, Bush led his team to a 22-2 record, averaging 16 points, 5 assists and 3 steals a game for Anderson. He averaged 17 points, 5 assists and 3 steals a game as a junior, leading Anderson to a 22-4 record in 1997. Anderson won its Indiana sectional tournament both seasons, but lost in the regional tournament each time. During Bush's sophomore season, Anderson advanced to Semi-State in 1996, one tournament away from the final-four state championship berth. His team compiled a 20-6 record that year. During the 1997-98 season, Anderson ranked fifth in the USA Today national poll, and defeated then No. 1 DeMatha, Md., 68-63. Nine thousand fans watched the game at the MCI Arena in Washington, D.C. The game attracted national attention because both head coaches, Anderson Coach Ron Hecklinski and DeMatha Coach Morgan Wootten, were recent recipients of liver transplants back then. Bush also excelled as a letterman in track and field as a high school athlete. He enrolled at Barton County last spring and practiced with the team during the Cougars' national-tournament run, in which they finished second at the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson last March.
Along with three other players, Bush was featured in the book, "Where the Game Matters Most: A Last Championship Season in Indiana High School Basketball." The book's author, William Gildea, followed Bush, Cougar forward Jamaal Davis, Luke Recker (formerly at Indiana), and Indiana State's Michael Menser through the 1996-97 season. Personal: Born March 18, 1980. Undecided on a major. Son of Gary Weatherford. High school coach, Ron Hecklinski. Hobbies/Interests: basketball, dogs, fishing. - Barton Cty JUCO website


8/3/99: "Eric Bush, Anderson, Ind., recently signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Barton County Community College next season. Bush, a 5-foot-11-inch, 165-pound point guard, was a three-year starter for national power Anderson High School and originally signed with Illinois State University after his senior season in 1998. "He's probably the quickest guard with the basketball that I've seen in Indiana," said Ron Hecklinski, Bush's former high school basketball coach. "He has very quick hands. Because of his quickness, he gets his hands on a lot of balls and creates steals." As a senior, Bush led his team to a 22-2 record, averaging 16 points, five assists and three steals a game for Anderson. He averaged 17 points, five assists and three steals a game as a junior, leading Anderson to a 22-4 record in 1997. Anderson won its Indiana sectional tournament both seasons, but lost in the regional tournament each time. During Bush's sophomore season, Anderson advanced to Semi-State in 1996, one tournament away from the final-four state championship berth. His team compiled a 20-6 record that year. During the 1997-98 season, Anderson ranked fifth in the USA Today national poll, and defeated then No. 1 DeMatha, Md., 68-63. Nine thousand fans watched the game at the MCI Arena in Washington, D.C. The game attracted national attention because both head coaches, Hecklinski and DeMatha Coach Morgan Wootten, were recent recipients of liver transplants back then. Bush enrolled at Barton County last spring and practiced with the team during the Cougars' national-tournament run, in which they finished second at the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson last March. "Being a point guard, how far we go next season depends a lot on Eric," said Barton County Head Men's Basketball Coach Ryan Wolf. "How he runs the team and how he develops as a leader are crucial factors toward our success. I think it helped him being around the program last year. His quickness and his ability to score are his strong points. Not only is he a great point guard, but he shoots extremely well and he's quick so he can get by people. With the way we want to play and the shooters we have on the wings, Eric is a good fit for us because he can get into the lane and penetrate, and he can get people shots. He's also a really good passer and an excellent ball handler. When he's on the floor, everybody better know where he's at, or someone might get a broken nose if they miss a pass." Along with three other players, Bush was featured in the book, "Where the Game Matters Most: A Last Championship Season in Indiana High School Basketball." The book's author, William Gildea, followed Bush, Cougar forward Jamaal Davis, Indiana's Luke Recker, and Indiana State's Michael Menser through the 1996-97 season. That was the final year of playing the all-class state championship format where schools in small towns and large cities have gone head-to-head in the state tournament since 1911. The new playoff format instituted a divisional system that segregated schools by size, allowing for four state champion teams. http://www.barton.cc.ks.us/sports/mbericbushsigns99.html